Friday, March 6, 2026
The CSC Eagle Newspaper – Chadron, NE
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The CSC Eagle Newspaper – Chadron, NE
GolfSports

Ritzen focuses on mindset and adjustments of players

Preston Goehring

At the helm of new Head Coach John Ritzen, the young CSC golf team is busy developing and trying to improve each day.
The new coach said he wants to change the mindset of the players, not just at meets, but in practice as well.
“I want to change how they approach a practice,” Ritzen said. “Instead of just hitting balls on the range, think about every shot.”
After losing two senior golfers to graduation, Schuyler Wetzel and Emma Harris, the Eagles landed ninth in the preseason RMAC coaches poll with 38 points. Metropolitan State University-Denver grabbed the top spot in the poll with 120. Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction, was picked second with 100.
Ritzen hopes to improve on last season and build the mindset that it takes to be a college golfer.
“I’m hoping that we do better than what we are projected,” Ritzen said. “I want to get into the middle of the RMAC this season and continue to improve in the future.”
Ritzen highlighted two golfers that will lead the team.
Mikayla Gallagher, junior of Lead, South Dakota, and Kelli Haynes, junior of Whitney, have a lot of experience and will be the top competitors for the Eagles.
Ritzen also has high hopes for Sam Rahmig, sophomore of Gering, and Karson Langley, junior of Sidney.
“She (Rahmig) is playing and practicing really well,” Ritzen said. “If she can take that work to the course she’ll do really well. Karson (Langley) has the next most experience behind Mikayla (Gallagher) and Kelli (Haynes) and should be another contributor.”
The team finished in eighth place at last year’s RMAC tournament in April, where they set a team stroke record of 649.
The team has only one freshman, Sidney Owen, of Rapid City, South Dakota. Ritzen said that she still has some developing to do.
“She still has to grow and add shots to her game just like everyone else before,” he said.
He also said that Owen should be on the bubble of making the travel team.
The CSC golf team will hit the links in Pueblo, Colorado, at the Farmer’s Insurance Samuel Proal Invitiational, Monday and Tuesday, to start the season.
“I want them to learn how to work on every shot and what it takes to be a college golfer,” Ritzen said. “If they can do that, we’ll start to see their scores drop.”